The interest in cubicles for dairy cows has grown during the last few years. The hygiene and health of the cows should be satisfied at the same time as less bedding material and work is to be obtained in order to increase the economic outcome of the production. There are a lot of different artificial bedding materials on the market, hard and soft rubber mats, thick rubber mattresses made of recycled rubber, mattresses with two layers, and a waterbed. New materials are under development. The demands upon the flooring material are numerous. It should be soft but stabile, not too slippery, give cow comfort, be easy to keep clean, have a long lifetime, demand less bedding material and be a good investment for the farmer. It is inevitable to avoid compromises, as the demand often are contradictory.

The development of new surface materials is in progress. The new beddings are better satisfying in comfort, health and hygiene of the cows than the hard rubber mats resulting in a reduced demand of bedding material. However, they often are more difficult to keep clean. The function of the surfaces are influenced by many factors and the price ranges between 600-1300 SEK per cubicle. This implies the choice of surface materials for the cubicles to be a long time investment in the comfort of the cows and for the economy of the farmer.